The internet is full of oddities and wonders, from the educational to the appalling – and sometimes both educational and appalling at the same time.\u00a0 Little wonder then that television is feeling the pinch – the internet has sites at least as entertaining, but with interactivity to ensure that the consumer (that\u2019d be all of us) doesn\u2019t become a dribbling moron in the process.\u00a0 That\u2019s the theory, anyway.<\/p>\n
Mac users are particularly well catered for.\u00a0 Whether your system of choice is modern (Mac OS X 10.6 or newer), old (early versions of Mac OS X), archaic (Mac OS 7, 8 and 9) or antediluvian (anything earlier), you can find plenty of support and entertainment.\u00a0 Even Apple is in on the act, providing limited support (in the discussion groups and archives) for its dinosaurs as well as for the latest and greatest.<\/p>\n
I like old computers.\u00a0 In fact, in many ways, I prefer the old kit.\u00a0 My modern Macs are useful – but I\u2019m more attached to my SE\/30, my LCIII and my Quadra 650 than I am to the Mac Pro.\u00a0 If I had to preserve one computer from a hypothetical flood, it\u2019d probably be the SE\/30.\u00a0 If I could preserve two then it would be the SE\/30 and my Synology NAS.<\/p>\n
There are many sites on the internet that cater to this fetish for tech-porn. GUIdebook<\/a> is one excellent example, Toasty Tech<\/a>\u2019s GUI Interface Gallery is another.\u00a0 Old-Computers<\/a> is excellent, and very well known, but I prefer Binary Dinosaurs<\/a>. By far the greatest, in my opinion, is the wonderful MacMania Museum<\/a>.<\/p>\n Despite the name, the MacMania Museum is only about 50% Mac.\u00a0 The rest includes arcana such as the under-appreciated Vectrex through to the inexplicably over loved Atari ST (sorry, I just don\u2019t like them!).\u00a0 It\u2019s a fascinating treasure trove of once state-of-the-art technology (and also technology that was merely a cynical cash in at the time of its release – IIvi, anyone?)\u00a0 A gambol down nostalgia lane.<\/p>\n If I have one criticism, and I do – I\u2019m the most critical person alive, it is that the museum is purely virtual.\u00a0 I would love to get my hands on some of this kit, to fondle it, and relive the experience of playing with it.\u00a0 As it is, we will all have to satisfy ourselves with just looking at the pictures (very good photography, by the way), and reading the fascinating and well researched text on each of the exhibits.<\/p>\n The curator, Neil, is a very talented man and his restorations are an example of what can be achieved with old equipment.\u00a0 Read on, and drool, at this, one of the very best sites on this subject on the entire internet.\u00a0 Very educational, and not appalling at all!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The internet is full of oddities and wonders, from the educational to the appalling – and sometimes both educational and appalling at the same time.\u00a0 Little wonder then that television is feeling the pinch – the internet has sites at least as entertaining, but with interactivity to ensure that the consumer (that\u2019d be all of … <\/p>\n